. The birds of Norfolk : with remarks on their habits, migration, and local distribution . hesin circumference, and weighing six ounces and three-quarters, had become as hard as stone, and certainlyin that state accounted for^ the sufferer not havingbeen able to free itself from its incumbrance. Twotoes only were visible on one side, of which one * This curious specimen was brought to Mr. Sayer, bird-stuffer,St. Giles, in this city, by a gentleman who resides on a heavy landSuflfolk farm, where the bird had been taken, and when shown tome the leg, from the fresh state of the sinews, had eviden
. The birds of Norfolk : with remarks on their habits, migration, and local distribution . hesin circumference, and weighing six ounces and three-quarters, had become as hard as stone, and certainlyin that state accounted for^ the sufferer not havingbeen able to free itself from its incumbrance. Twotoes only were visible on one side, of which one * This curious specimen was brought to Mr. Sayer, bird-stuffer,St. Giles, in this city, by a gentleman who resides on a heavy landSuflfolk farm, where the bird had been taken, and when shown tome the leg, from the fresh state of the sinews, had evidently beenbut recently severed from the body. RED-LEGGED PAKTJBIDGE. 417 had tlie nail torn off level with the edge of the massitself. From the upper part protruded a short bit ofbent or straw, and this being- entangled round the foothad probably collected the soil by degrees, which hadhardened at night with the frost. I can only imaginethat the unfortunate bird, which was half starved whentaken, had been wounded in the leg, and was thusunable to endure the pam of removing the earth when. it first began to attach itself. On subsequently showingthe limb, and its accumulations, to my friend , it struck him, at once, as a singular confirma-tion of Mr. Darwins theory of the transportation of theseeds of plants by adhesion to the beaks and feet ofbirds, and, as such, he exhibited and described it at ameeting of the Zoological Society, on the 21st day ofApril, 1863, a notice of which, with a very accurate3h 418 BIEDS OF NORFOLK. illustration was publislied in tlie Proceedings forthat year. Through, the kindness of Mr. P. L. Sclater,the indefatigable secretary of the society, I am nowenabled to transfer to these pages the original woodcut,and I am the more obliged for the opportunity of doingso, since the specimen itself is no longer in existence. The posthumous honours, however, to be paid to thisremnant of a ^ Frenchman were not to end here. further requested permis
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Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, bookidbirdsofnorfolkwi01stev
